The invention relates generally to controls for medical devices and systems and more specifically to a foot pedal for use in controlling a medical device or system.
In medical procedures it is often necessary for a physician to operate a medical device or system in association with the medical procedure being performed by the physician. However, in many situations the hands of the physician are occupied in holding the implements being utilized to perform the procedure. As a result, it is necessary to provide the physician with controls for the medical device or system that can be operated without the physician having to use their hands.
One example of a control utilized for this purpose is a foot pedal. The pedal is operably connected to the medical device or system and can be depressed by the physician in order to activate one or more function of the device or system, without the physician having to release their hold on the implements being utilized in performance of the medical procedure.
In certain prior art solutions to this issue, the foot pedal is connected to the medical device or system via a direct wired connection. The wire or cable extending between the pedal and the device or system enables the activation of the foot pedal by the physician to be transmitted directly to the device for use in activation of the device. Further, the cable can be used as a power source for the foot pedal, enabling the pedal to be powered by the medical device r system to which it is attached by the cable. However, the use of a cable to connect the pedal to the device or system necessarily can cause issues with the cable being inadvertently disconnected or becoming damaged rendering the cable and footpedal inoperative.
Other alternative solutions include wirelessly connecting the footpedal to the medical device or system. To do so, any number of wireless modules employing a standard wireless protocol, such as infrared, Bluetooth®, or Zigbee®, among others can be positioned within the footpedal and operably connected to suitable electronics, all of which are powered by a power source or battery disposed within the footpedal. In this configuration any issues involving a cable are avoided with the footpedal also being able to be positioned at various locations with respect to the medical device or system to communicate wirelessly therewith. However, in the wireless configuration, issues are still present. More particularly, due to the increased range of operation provided by the use of wireless communication between the pedal and the medical device or system, the potential of inadvertent activation of the device or system by the pedal is increased. Also, with regard to the ability to power the wireless footpedal, the power source/battery must be charged and/or replaced periodically to ensure proper functioning of the foot pedal. The charging or replacement is a concern for the end user as the charging and/or replacement must be done by the end user of the foot pedal and the end user must be check the status of the battery to determine if it require replacement. There is also the potential for a short or leakage from the battery and the battery must be properly disposed of once replaced by the end user. All of these issues with the battery contribute to significant increases in the service costs from the use of a wireless connection configuration for the footpedal.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a footpedal for use in conjunction with a medical device or system that can effectively communicate with the medical device or system but without the deficiencies of the prior art footpedal configurations.